This invention is directed to an improved plastic fence post having a plurality of wire attaching and reinforcing devices.
Fence posts are a common item which have been known and used for many years in order to retain objects such as animals within a confined area or on the other hand, to prevent objects from entering a restricted area. Most fence posts are merely poles or elongated members made of wood, concrete or possibly metal such as steel. In the case of a wood post, the fence wire is merely stapled to the side of the post to secure the strands in spaced relation above the ground. Where metal posts are used, usually the base has an outwardly extending vertical flange which prevents the post from being rotated. The wire is held to the upper part of the post by means of clips which are wrapped around the wire and post to secure them in place.
The prior art in this field is generally quite old. U.S. Pat. No. 317,558 issued in 1885 shows a metal fence post having outwardly extending base flanges to prevent the rotation of the post after being buried in the ground and provides a plurality of holes drilled through the post for securing strands of fence wire. The base flanges are provided as anchor plates inserted through slots in the base of the post. With this fence post, a wire staple is passed through the upper holes to secure the fence while a bolt can be passed through the holes if it is desired to secure wooden cross members for the purpose of providing a picket or board fence. Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 982,957, issued to Haddon in 1911, discloses a hollow fence post formed from concrete and a plurality of vertically spaced holes passing therethrough for the purpose of anchoring the fence wire with clips. A wedge shaped implement is provided on the back side of the post for securing the clip and tightening it in position. There were no anchors provided on this post for securing the post in the ground.
Some of the major problems encountered in fence posts today are their weight and the cost of shipping and storage. The use of metal which is subject to weathering and soil deterioration greatly increases the weight and thus the cost of shipping and handling this type of post. A concrete post while having fair weathering characteristics is extremely heavy and expensive to ship, not to mention being fragile. While wood is relatively light weight when compared to the other materials, it is becoming rather expensive and generally bulky or thick to obtain reasonable strength. Because of this, shipping expenses again are high due to space requirements.